A packed crowd was there for World Powerlifting's Pacific Challenge at Fitness Show Sydney 2019, the Southern Hemisphere's largest fitness trade show - and the lifters from six different nations responded with multiple national and World Records.

In the Women's lifting Jess Sewastenko of Australia was the star of the show with a World Record Total of 436kg at 58kg bodyweight, that including 193kg Deadlift World Record. Age group World Records came from Masters Ali Gascoigne (New Zealand) and Ding Li (China) and also Youth Brea De Jonge (Australia), ultra promising with 206kg Squat and 487kg Total.

The Men's lifting was highlighted by the showdown between Antipodean Superheavyweights Tony Reinmuth and Joe Whittaker. The 375kg Australian record Squat from Tony was surpassed by New Zealander Joe's 380kg and on it went, lift for lift until Joe's final Deadlift 334kg didn't move and Tony was left with the gold, 930kg to 927kg. And while all that was going on, World Records came from Chad Odsey, 186kg Bench Press at 77kg and Michael Rand 331kg Deadlift at 105kg.

Net stop on the World Powerlifting Fitness circuit in the gigantic FIBO Shanghai in August

Fifty local lifters in the China Open set the stage for the two sessions of elite international powerlifting in the Asia Pacific Open. There was a full house audience all the way through as 23 of the region’s best lifters competed in the intense atmosphere of 50,000 attendees amongst hundreds of loud all equipped stalls at Asia’s premier fitness show.
As ever Jezza Uepa of Nauru was the standout. A 460kg squat in training the week before wasn’t matched on the platform as he narrowly missed a WR attempt 461kg, but Jezza walked away with a best lifter total of 1017.5kg in the 120+kg class. China’s best Weibin He was not that far behind with a 817.5kg total in the 105kg class while local Dianxiong Lin set the only open World Record of the meet with a 260kg squat in the 77kg class.
Age group World Records did come to Yurika Kepae with a 221.5kg Junior World Record squat in the 100+kg class and Irving Harris with a 226kg Masters 3 World Record squat in the 85kg class. Not far off records and best female lifter was Li Ding of China with a solid total 345kg in the 53kg class.
This was the first international Powerlifting event in China and there will be much more to follow in 2019. Stay tuned.